February 9, 2000

EVELYN CHRISTENSON spoke to Women Reachin Texas.

Pray against spiritual darkness, Christenson tells women
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___FORT WORTH--If Christian women want to see America's moral and social conditions improve, they should direct their prayers at the root cause rather than the symptoms, according to Evelyn Christenson, author of "What Happens When Women Pray."

NOELIA CAVASOS sings during the Women Reaching Texas luncheon.

___The problem is spiritual darkness, and the only answer is the light of salvation that Christ offers, Christenson told a Feb. 1 Women Reaching Texas luncheon in Fort Worth, scheduled in conjunction with the Texas Baptist Evangelism Conference.
___"We think we can sugarcoat our country with our prayers," she said. "We need to see people saved. That's the method to see change. The salvation word will solve the darkness problem in America and the world."
___Christian women need to face the biblical truth that every person either is spiritually lost in darkness or walking in the light of Christ, said Christenson, founding president of United Prayer Ministry.
___"We are all born in a state of sin," she said. "Jesus is the only one capable of turning on the light and turning off the darkness in us."
___The indwelling presence of Christ in every believer makes each Christian a "lighthouse" as "Jesus radiates out from us," she said.
___Christenson outlined three essential elements to being an effective lighthouse:
___ Prayer. Personal evangelism is pointless unless God is at work, giving sight to the spiritually blinded, she said. "Pray to get God involved. Ask God to remove the blinders so they can see your light."
___ Care. Build relationships by "interacting with love" and doing intentional acts of kindness.
___ Share. The job is incomplete until a Christian communicates a verbal witness, telling

KATHY KIRK of Garland, Wanda Bolton of Grand Prairie and Phyllis Jenkins of Allen gathered to pray. (BGCT photos)

a lost person how to find peace with God.
___At a similar Women Reaching Texas luncheon Jan. 29 at First Baptist Church in Garland, Bible study leader Debbie Williams from Trinity Baptist Church of Kerrville challenged women to seize opportunities to share the gospel with spiritually hungry people.
___Williams, author of the "Discovering His Passion" Bible study produced by Women Reaching Texas, encouraged Christian women to be "better stewards of the mysteries of God."
___Pointing to the popular New Age movement, she said some seekers are "dancing with a form of spirituality," but they need to be directed to the truth of Scripture.
___"For every counterfeit word spoken, we must be spokespersons for the word of God. We must be ready," Williams said. "We have new opportunities because more people are talking about spiritual things."
___A Bible study for Christian women should be a time of equipping for service, not an occasion for selfish benefit, she said.
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